Huntsville gazette., 1887-11-26

ing dla logue, he took out the letter
and read her all the latter part, which
was an interesting compound of busi-
nes.s prospects and hunting expert
ences. After which. being an eccentric
man, he turned to Mrs. Chatham with
the question:
"Will you forgive me for being so
very impertinent? 1 Just want to ask
you something. If you want to know
about Tom, why on earth don't you
write him yourself?"
"Because-because-oh, you can't
understand but he wouldn't care for
the letter"
Begging your pardon, Mrs Chath-
am, | know he would"
The eyes opened wide.
Il really can't see what you mean, =
she said, with considerable dignity.
''You can't judge very well in this
matter, knowing nothing Of the facts.
There was a moments silence; then
that audacious man said, very quietly:
"Iwish you would tell me the facts. y
II will," she exclaimed. Why, she
never knew; sometimes she thought
that much-enduring word, ,''fata, y
must be used to explain it. For mo-
ment she hesitated, then turning to
him she said:
"Would you believe your friend
could not only break his word to me in
a dishonorable way, but lie about it al
so?''
Never had he seen the brown eyes so
dark, the firm lips so white.
NO" he replied; land excuse me,
but | don't think ever shall"
Listen, then" she said, and looking
straight before her she told him her
story.
people would tell you it all came Of
a woman's knowing too much Of mems 5
affairs. Perhaps you have never heard
that | took quite an interest in business
matters; but that was the case, and
Mr.. Chatham used to tell me a great
deal Of such things. In fact, he said ]
might have made myself fortune had
been man. About year ago we
heard a great deal about a certain rail
road scheme thai Mr. Green wanted
my husband to join. [ suspected it was
any thing bHt sound, and that the
man only wanted Mr.. Chatham
to back him up. But he thought
differently, and we had a serious
quarrel on the subject. At last
he promised me to avoid it. Would
you believe that after that promise he
could go deliberately and involve him
self in it? That was what he did. |
am certain, for in a short time the fine
scheme came to grief, and the same
day Tom was obliged to tell me he had
lost large sum Of money. That was,
you know, the time of his difficulties,
and this loss seemed the crowning
blow. 1t was hard to believe that he
could have 50 broken his word to me. but
to have him fatty deny it was worse than
all. He told me he had never invested
in the railway, had not lost bis money
there, and yet he could not tell me how
he had lost it. Then | gave up every
thing. l could have forgiven any thing
else. 1 only wanted him to tell me
the truth. L cared nothing ior the
broken promise; but to see him stand
ing there with that dreadful set face
saying that he had lost the money; he
could not tell me how-he never could
tell me; but not in the railr)ad, oh,
no! Great Heaven, how couldI do it?
How then?' [ asked him. Tell me
something, Tom
''Then he muttered something about
bound and 'dishonor,' and hid his
face, and | told him | cared nothing
for trouble or shame, if he onlf would
speak. And then he looked up aid asked
if ] could not trust him. He to talk Of
trusting with that shameful slcret in
his mind! And yet, 0, Mr. Grey,
sometimes | think | would rather have
trusted him than"
And here the clear voice falteted, and
the little woman put one hand up to
her eyes, but removed it in some sur
prise as Mr.. Grey brought down his
hand on her disengaged one with a
startling emphasis and the eXclama-
ton:
"Splendid fellow! The dear old
man all over!" Then, conscious of
his slight incoherency:
"Mrs. Chatham, you might have
trusted him, and l can tell you why l
say it. Ayear ago my sister wrote me
from New York for some money She
was in great trouble; she had been
foolish in managing her affairs had
gone to ruin, in fact. hadn'ta penny,
and was just going out to try and help
her a bit, when | got a cable: All
right. Have written. And when the
letter came she told me that my old
friend Tom Chatham had come to her
rescue and helped her out. She knew
she never could repay him, but she
would work her whole life to do some
thing toward it. Poor little woman.
Her life was a short one, for two
months later she was dead. 1t was
then that your husbands difficulties